


Liability

by lilraven



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-04 12:17:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13364541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilraven/pseuds/lilraven
Summary: "-- Charity Dingle does not get to do this to her. She does not get to push Vanessa into a fit that lasts for days, only over a few stupid words. A couple of weeks, she said, and I’ll be bored of you."In other words, the one in which Ness downloads Tinder and things, well, escalate.(In addition to vanity, inspired by Liability by Lorde.)





	1. Eating me alive

Vanessa can’t focus. She’s been sat at her desk for the better part of an hour, trying to go through her schedule for the week, but piercing eyes and a haughty voice won’t leave her alone. It’s beyond frustrating, and she wants to scream, because Charity Dingle does not get to do this to her. She does not get to push Vanessa into a fit that lasts for days, only over a few stupid words. A couple of weeks, she said, and I’ll be bored of you.

She sighs out loud and looks up again to the storm clouds that have been brewing over the village all day, circling with promise of rain that has yet to fall. The looming dreariness seems annoyingly like a metaphor, so she gets up and puts the kettle on before she can dwell on it for too long. She needs to move, needs to do something. Anything that’ll stop those stupid, meaningless words from echoing in her head.

When the kettle boils, she jumps. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. One, two, three. She breathes out a little laugh and shakes her head. This cannot be normal. She pours the water with hands that she realizes now are shaking with the remnants of anger she’s been carrying in her body ever since she left the pub days ago. A ring of the doorbell smooths the crease in her forehead and she sets the kettle down. That’ll be Rhona, finally come to break the excruciating silence.

“Hey, love.”

Rhona’s eyes are kind, familiar, safe. She pulls Vanessa into a hug, and Vanessa finds herself clutching onto her best friend, lingering far longer than just a greeting. She steps back and puts on her best smile.

“Hey, want a cuppa? I just had the kettle on.”  
“Please.”

Rhona plops herself on the couch while Vanessa busies herself in the kitchen. She almost spills boiling water all over her hands this time, cursing under her breath at her hands that won’t stop their damn shaking. As she makes her way back, Rhona’s voice floats from the couch.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or do I have to pry it out of you?”

Vanessa hands her the cup and settles next to her on the crouch with a petulant look. She takes a sip of tea and swallows deliberately slow, buying herself time to get control of her voice that will surely betray her.

“Nothing’s wrong, what are you on about?”

Rhona tilts her head to the side, her eyebrows raised and looking like it’s taking every inch of her self-control not to roll her eyes.

“Really? Nothing’s wrong? Tell that to your nervous hands and clipped voice. You’ve been on edge for days. I’m your best friend, Ness, talk to me.”

Vanessa lets out a frustrated sigh, throwing her head back against the back of the couch and pinching her eyes closed. As the words start spilling out, she squeezes her eyes shut tighter, as though that will make it all less real.

“I don’t – I don’t know, Rhona. I’m so angry. All the time. I can’t focus, most nights I can’t sleep, because – Ughhh. It shouldn’t matter. She shouldn’t matter.”

“Does this have anything to do with the fact that you’ve been avoiding the pub like the plague?” Rhona’s voice is surprisingly soft, so Vanessa dares to take a peek at her with one eye.

“Maybe.”  
“Ness, love, I.. I told you Charity was trouble. What’s she done?”  
“Nothing!”

Vanessa sits up on the couch with such force that Rhona jumps a little when they face each other, surprised by the sudden flash of anger in Vanessa’s eyes.

“That’s just the thing, isn’t it? She hasn’t done anything. I guess it didn’t even take two weeks, did it? And I shouldn’t care, because it’s not like it was anything more than a bit of fun, a few ill-advised fumbles here and there. Two weeks, oh I’ll give her two weeks.”

“Uhm, okay Ness, you’ve lost me.”

Vanessa looks at Rhona, almost as though just now remembering that there’s another side to this conversation.

“Sorry. I – uhh. The last time I saw her, I sort of.. Well, I asked her if we were a couple and she said I shouldn’t flatter myself. I mean, me? Flatter myself? If anyone, she should be flattered, the cheeky cow. Anyway, she told me she’d be bored of me in two weeks. But I suppose it didn’t even take that long, and you know what Rhona, who gives a flying – ”

“Ness, you do realise it’s you who’s been avoiding her at all cost? I mean don’t get me wrong, Charity Dingle isn’t on my list of favourite people, but it seems like maybe you haven’t given her a chance to, as you said, do anything. Not that you should. Just, uh, a thought.”

Vanessa stares at Rhona for a moment, eyes wide, jaw dropping a bit. But then the anger flares up again as she remembers the other day when Charity waved at her from across the café, all cool and nonchalant.

“But I. She. She’s Charity Dingle. If she wanted me, surely she’d make it happen? And she said she’d get bored, Rhona. Bored. I’m not even worthy of anger or dislike to her. And all I can feel is so, so angry.”

The last words come out a strangled whisper and Vanessa bites her lip, willing the tears burning in her eyes not to fall. Rhona pulls her into a hug, hands rubbing slow circles on her back as she buries her face into her shoulder.

“Darling she’s not worth this. She’s not worth your tears, you deserve someone so much better.”

Hours later, when Vanessa lies in her bed sleepless, her mind plays new words. Someone so much better. On an impulse, she grabs her cell phone from the bedside table and starts flicking through apps. Her eyes land on an orange flame. This is ridiculous. She told Tracy she wouldn’t go chasing after true love. She doesn’t need to date someone else to prove she doesn’t care about Charity Dingle. She definitely does not need to download Tinder to prove that she’s not boring. She doesn’t even care what Charity says about her. She presses download.


	2. All a stranger would see

Paige is bubbly and cute. She barely stops talking and giggling as Vanessa sips on her coffee, thinking the woman must be ten years younger than her profile said. The girl makes another joke about some social media star that goes straight over the top of Vanessa’s head, but she smiles meekly nonetheless. She takes another sip of her coffee and makes what she hopes is at least a somewhat relevant comment. Paige lets out a burst of laughter and reaches over the table to touch Vanessa’s shoulder.

“Oh my god you’re so funny!”

The urge to cringe is unbearable, but Vanessa manages to plaster a tight smile on her face. Half an hour into the date she texts Rhona a plea for help and when the call comes, she excuses herself because of ‘an emergency at the surgery.’

Paige is bubbly and cute. Vanessa forgets her the second she is out of the tiny coffee shop in Hotten.

  

* * *

 

Erin has curly auburn hair, the kindest eyes and softest smile. Her laughter is genuine and she seems to actually listen as Vanessa rambles on about her life, and somehow ends up trying to explain that she hasn’t really done this before. The whole Tinder thing, that is.

“It’s is only my third Tinder date as well, don’t worry. I have no idea how this is meant to go either.”

This is nice, Vanessa thinks, relaxing into the booth and sipping on her beer and gazing out the window for a moment. They keep talking, and the more Erin talks, the more she relaxes. She’s not terrible at this dating women thing after all, and Charity Dingle can bugger off calling her boring. It’s all going smoothly, Vanessa is listening to Erin talk about her ex-girlfriend’s German Shepherd, and thinking it’s nice to just chat without being constantly on your tip toes, waiting for a verbal slap across the face. But then it happens: Erin gives her a long look and asks Vanessa if there’s an ex she’s not over.

  
“I, uhh. No, not that I know of. Why?”

“It’s just that you don’t seem very keen on speaking about your past relationships.”

Vanessa looks down at the table.

“I haven’t really been on a proper date in a long time.”

“A proper date… But there is someone, isn’t there? You keep glancing out the window like someone will see us.”

Vanessa sighs. She doesn’t care. She doesn’t want to care.

Bit by bit, Erin drags the story out of her. Not any of the details, but everything that matters. Yes, there could be someone, only they’re the most stubborn and annoying woman Vanessa’s ever encountered. Yes, she might be using Tinder as a means to escape reality. No, she can’t stop thinking about her.

At end of the evening Erin gives her a tight hug and says she hopes Vanessa figures out whatever it is that she needs to.

“Thanks. I had a good time, Erin.”

"Any time. Now go get that lucky girl.”

“Oh, I don’t think it’ll ever happen, but thank you. And thank you for the talk.”

“Anything’s possible, Vanessa. Take it from me, I’ve seen my share of stubborn and annoying, but truth is there’s always a reason to all that stubborn and annoying.”

Vanessa grimaces and curses the day she met Charity Dingle.

 

* * *

 

A few days later, Vanessa finally hauls herself to the pub for the first time in weeks, Rhona by her side for support.

 “Would ya look at what the tide dragged in. I heard you’ve been doing some swiping to the right, Ness, how’s that working out?”

Charity’s eyes are on fire and Vanessa swallows the words that try to escape her mouth. She orders two pints for herself and Rhona, carefully ignoring Charity’s gaze that starts a pounding within her gut, a heat that spreads in pulsing waves until her whole body vibrates.

“So, any of them get lucky? Would be very lucky indeed, if I remember correctly.”

Another rush of heat wreaks havoc on Vanessa’s body, but she forces herself to turn away without a word. She barely makes it to the table without wobbling. Rhona watches her intently as she slumps on the chair across from her.

“I can’t do this.” 

“Ness, you have to talk to her. You can’t keep going on like this.”

Vanessa thrums with nervous energy, her capability to focus on anything non-existent. Before long she’s wolfed down her beer, barely having taken part in the conversation Rhona is trying to hold. So Rhona gets them another two pints to calm her down, then another, and another.

Vanessa thinks maybe she can. Maybe she can just walk over to the bar and – She glances over and there’s a woman there. A gorgeous, tall, raven-haired woman in a flaming red dress, with a lock of her hair being twirled between nimble fingers. Charity’s fingers. Bile rises to her throat and she’s out of the pub before Rhona knows what hit her.

After a sleepless night she decides this needs to end. She’ll try one more time.

 

* * *

 

Maia is gorgeous. They’ve been texting for a few days, and Vanessa has realised they have absolutely nothing in common. But Maia is hotter than a furnace, and she wants Vanessa to take her to the pub, so she indulges herself. She knows it’s a terrible idea before it even fully forms in her head, but she’s done trying to please.

So on Saturday night, Maia steps out of a taxi in knee-high leather boots and greets Vanessa with a playful kiss on the cheek.

“Ready?”

“Whenever you are.”

Vanessa can’t help but grin as they make their way to the Woolpack. Maia wraps an arm around her shoulders on the way in, and there are almost shivers. Almost.

The air in the pub tightens the second they step in, and Vanessa’s eyes land square on Charity who stands frozen behind the bar. Her eyes flicker between Vanessa and Maia, and Vanessa can see the small twitch of her mouth that she quickly tries to mask as a smirk. She’s almost made a perfect recovery under Vanessa’s scrutiny, but then the pint she’s topping up slips from her hand, and in a split-second half of her blouse is drenched in beer, pieces of glass all over the floor. She pinches her eyes shut and mumbles something to Chas before darting through the door behind the bar.

Out of instinct, Vanessa takes a step to follow. Maia looks at her with a questioning smile. Vanessa falters only for a second before giving Maia a gentle push.

“You go sit, I’ll get us a bottle of red.” She even winks, just to make sure she’s covered her tracks.

Maia makes her laugh, she’s charming and funny, and Vanessa almost forgets for a while where they are, and why all this can’t end well. The wine is buzzing in her head and she glances over at the bar where Charity is finally back, having changed into another one of her flowy v-necks. Not that Vanessa is looking. She jerks her head back to face Maia, and leans in closer to hear her words over the bustle of the pub that’s been filling up all evening. She can feel Charity’s eyes drilling into her back.

After a while Vanessa excuses herself to the loo, purposely ignoring Charity whose eyes follow her all the way across the bar until she disappears from sight.

Vanessa stares at herself in the mirror for a good while, trying to focus her eyes. She wasn’t meant to get quite this tipsy. She takes a few deep breaths and washes her hands with cold water, pressing cold palms against her cheeks and the back of her neck to cool down her scorching skin. When she makes her way back to the table, she finds Charity perched at the end of it, hovering over Maia, who is beaming up at her. Maia licks her lips as Charity whispers something to her and slips her a piece of paper, a knowing smile spreading on her face.

“What’s this, Charity?”

“Ness, heyyy.. Nothing, nothing. Just making friends, babe.” Charity hops off the table, raising her hands in mock surrender.

“Why don’t you go make friends somewhere else? Marlon looks a bit lonely.”

“Buttercup there’s no need to be upset, we were just having a bit of a chat with, uhh, Mary here.”

“It’s Maia, and I should probably go.”

Vanessa’s eyes shift from Charity to Maia so fast she has to take a moment to refocus, and when she does Maia is already halfway into her jacket.

“No, don't go! Please, she’s like this with everyone. Maia please, stay. Charity, I’m sure you have customers waiting. Would you mind?” Vanessa’s eyes widen, and she jabs her head towards the bar.

“Well I would in fact.”

Vanessa’s eyes are ice. Charity stares back with unwavering fire.

“Yeah, so I’m gonna – ”

Maia gives up trying to get their attention and mumbles a soft ‘thanks for the date’ as she traipses out the door. Vanessa gives her a fleeting look, but the fire in the pit of her stomach is burning again, and she turns back to face piercing green eyes.

“Why, Charity?”

“Oh come on, you can do so much better. You have done. Besides, you love it.”

“I love what?”

“The way it makes you feel when I rile you up like this.”

“I do not." 

“Do too.”

Charity licks a deliberately slow trail along her bottom lip, and takes a step forward. She’s so close, too close for Vanessa to be able to think. Her thighs ache with want as she stares into demanding, treacherous eyes.

“Tell me this, Vanessa,” Charity lowers her voice, leaning so close their lips are a breath apart, “how wet are you right now?”

“Fuck you, Charity.” 

“If you please.”

She rips herself away from under Charity’s gaze, and storms out of the pub without a second glance. Fuming with rage, she tears in through her front door before she knows what’s happened and when the door slams closed behind her she lets out a frustrated groan and shoves her hand between her legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter kind of took me for a ride and I just went with it. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed running with it!


	3. Tricks don't work anymore

“Why is she like this, Rhona?” Vanessa looks at her best friend with desperation painted all over her face, and pulls a sleeping Johnny closer in her lap. “I just don’t understand why she has to mess with me. One day she’s bored of me, the next she won’t leave me and my date alone!”

Rhona gives her a measured look from across the couch before taking a long sip of tea and twitching her nose. 

“Well, to be honest, to me it sounds like she was jealous.”

Vanessa scoffs at that and presses a soft kiss on Johnny’s hair.

“Please, she knows she could have me in a snap of her fingers.”

“Does she? Ness, love, I don’t think it’s unlikely that she’d be jealous of you bringing Maia over to the pub.” 

“She was flirting with her! I saw her slip Maia her number!” Vanessa looks down, cursing herself for the surge of anger that rushes through her.

“Well, whatever the reason, I think it’s about time you had a talk. Or maybe I should —“

“Rhona, no.”

“Why not? I wouldn’t make it too bad. Just give her the old ‘you’d better stop messing with my best friend if you intend on keeping your head’ speech.” 

Vanessa’s frown melts into a smile and she reaches out to ruffle Rhona’s hair, “Have I told you lately how much I love you?” 

“You can say that again.”

Vanessa’s smile widens as Rhona scoots closer on the couch and lays her head softly on her shoulder.

“I love you too, Ness. No one messes with my girl.”

Vanessa’s phone vibrates in her pocket and it takes a moment for her to juggle Johnny around in her lap in order to reach it.

“Huh. It’s Maia. She wants to meet up for a drink.”

“Well fancy that, Charity wasn’t able to chase her away after all."

“Would you mind having Johnny over for the night?” 

“Course, love. Leo and I would both love the company. And you definitely need a night out.”

 

* * *

  

Vanessa steps into the small dimly lit wine bar and scans her surroundings slowly. The tables are mostly filled with young couples sat at high tables adorned with candles and red roses in small vases. Maia is nowhere to be seen yet, so Vanessa greets the bartender with a smile and is about to order a glass of red when her eyes land on a lone Charity sitting rigidly in one of the booths along the back of the bar. Her face hardens, and when Charity looks up she strides over before her brain has time to catch up. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“Ness! You’re here.”

Charity gets up hastily, almost spilling the untouched wine glass that’s standing on the table before her. Vanessa’s narrows her eyes, and tilts her head.

“Wait, you knew I'd be here?” 

“Of course I knew. I asked Maia to invite you.” 

“What? Where is she?” 

“She’s not coming. I wanted to see you.”

“What the hell, Charity? You wanted to see me, and you thought the best way to go about that was to, what, have Maia invite me over for a fake date? Thanks a bunch.”

She turns to leave, her eyes burning with tears she refuses to shed. Before she makes it two steps, she feels Charity’s hand on her arm, gentle but steady. Vanessa turns around to face her, her eyes throwing daggers. Charity looks more panicked than Vanessa thinks she’s ever seen her.

“Look, hear me out, babe. I – I asked her to invite you here, because I didn’t think you’d come if I asked.”

“There’s a bloody good reason for that, Charity.”

The words come out louder and harsher than intended, but Vanessa’s too angry to care, too tired of this endless dance they’re doing.

“Ness, please. Just, sit down, and hear me out. People are staring.”

“Since when do you care?”

“Please.”

Charity’s voice is uncharacteristically soft, and she looks at Vanessa with so much honesty in her eyes that she can’t help but relent. She lets out a half-hearted sigh, and hunkers into the booth with so much force that it hurts a bit when she lands on the wooden seat.

“So? What am I doing here?”

Charity sits back down and takes a breath, and Vanessa is momentarily taken aback by how hard it seems to be for her to spit out whatever she’s trying to say.

“Look, Ness. I’m sorry for tricking you into coming here. It’s just that I… I hated seeing you with that slag and – “

“Maia’s not a slag! And look who’s talking.”

“Oi! Okay, not the point. The point is – the point is you said we weren’t a couple, but you know what Vanessa, we both know that’s not what you think.”

“What?”

“Yeah, it’s bollocks. You want me, I want you. Who do you think you’re kidding?"

“But it was you! You said I shouldn’t flatter myself, that – that you’d be bored of me in two weeks! You walked away from me laughing, I didn’t – “ 

“You said we weren’t a couple! That you didn’t want there to be any misunderstandings! What was I supposed to say to that? And then you come in here with that – that twenty-something supermodel and drool over her all night!” 

“Well you never said anything! You just walked away from me that day and I never heard from you.”

“I thought you didn’t want me!”

“Well I do!”

“Why are we shouting?”

Vanessa’s retort dies on her lips as her brain finally catches up to reality. She stares at Charity for a moment, the both of them breathing heavily. Charity’s mouth twitches, and in a second they are both laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Vanessa gets up and scoots into the seat beside Charity, who pulls her in with a mischievous look on her face.

“So, will you be my stupid girlfriend then?”

Laughter bubbles up from Vanessa’s chest and she presses a quick kiss on Charity’s shoulder.

“I’m not stupid, but I’ll take the rest of it, thank you.”

Charity’s eyes lighten up and she pulls Vanessa in, pressing her lips against Vanessa’s so gently that Vanessa’s chest tightens a bit before she pulls Charity closer by the lapels of her shirt. When Charity pulls back, Vanessa thinks she sees her eyes water for a moment, but Charity is quick to blink away any proof, and she takes Vanessa’s hands into hers. She looks at Vanessa with a smile that slowly turns from soft to flirty. 

“You know, this might be a massive mistake on your part, babe,” Charity says and presses another kiss on Vanessa’s lips, “I’m a liability, ask anyone, they’ll tell ya.”

Vanessa chuckles and shakes her head, pulling Charity back to her, whispering her answer against softest of soft lips. 

“I’ll take that risk.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing anything for these characters and I'm a wee bit nervous, but I couldn't resist the idea of Vanessa on tinder dates. I hope you guys are up for the ride!


End file.
